Connecter element



E. R. KULKA CONNECTER ELEMENT Filed Nov. 26, 1929 May 2l, 1935.

ATTORN EYS Patented May 21, 193s CONNECTER ELEMENT .Eugene R. Kulka, New York, N. Y., assigner to C. D. Wood Electric Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a .corporation of New York Application November 2s, 1929, serial No. 409,830

z claims. y (c1. 11s- 901) My invention relates to a new and improved connecter element.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a connecter element which can either be used as a plug receptacle or as a plug.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connecter element. in the form of a plug or plug receptacle to which the lead wires can be readily connected without the necessity of utilizing screws, a screw driver, or any other tool.

Another object of. my invention is to provide a connecter element which can be readily and conventionally assembled Without the necessity of using screws or similar connecting members.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connecter element in the form of a plug or plug receptacle in which the danger of short-circuiting will be minimized because the bare ends of the wires are completely enclosed, and which will facilitate the operation of connecting the lead wires.v i

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawing which illustrates a, preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above general statement ofthe objects of my invention is intended merely to generally explain the-same and not to limit it in any manner.

Fig. l -is a side elevation showing a connecter element in the form of a plug.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is av sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the blades removed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the blade.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing how a lead wire is connected to a blade without the use of screws or other connecting members.

Fig. 7 is a vertical central sectional view showing a plug receptacle made according to my invention. This is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 shows the parts of the device illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 separated from each other.

Fig. l0 is a sectional view along the line Ill- I0 of Fig. 7.

Plugs have heretofore comprised blades which were connected to a head made of insulating material by means of direct molding or by screws or other connecting members, and said blades were provided with screws or the like, by means of which the lead wires could be connected thereto.

This required the use of a screw driver or other tool, which was very inconvenient. The connec-v tion of the lead wires to the blades was inconvenient and unreliable and there was. always danger of a short-circuit.

According to my invention, a plug comprises a head I, and a clamping member 2, which can. be

made of any suitable insulating material. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the head l is internally threaded and the clamping member 2 is provided with a reduced and externally threaded end portion Iwhich enters the interior of the hollow member v As shown in Fig. 2, the clamping member 2, is provided with spaced and parallel perforations through which the blades 3 can pass.

As clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the blades 3 are L-shaped, and the lateral portions of the blades are provided with slots 4. Likewise, the in- 20 ner ends of the blades are provided with openings 5. The outer ends of the blades 3 can also be provided with openings.

In order to connect the parts, it is merely necessary to pass the bare ends of the lead wires L through a pair of inner openings 5, and then through the slots or recesses 4.

Y When the body members 2 and 3 are assembled, each said body member has a longitudinal periphery, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, which periphery can be gripped. The member 2 is not turnable relative to blades 3. Hence, when the blades 3 are inserted into the openings oi.' a threaded plug receptacle which has been inserted into an ordinary threaded socket, 30 member 2 can be turned in unison with blades 3 and said threaded plug receptacle, in order to screw said threaded plug receptacle into and out of its socket.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the lead wires may be bent over the lateral portions of the blades 3. 'This can be readily done after the blades 3 have been inserted into the clamping member 2, and while the lateral ends of the blades 3 are spaced from the interior of the member I. 45 Upon turning the member I relative to the member 2, the various parts (including the wires) are then firmly clamped between the adjacent parallel surfaces of the body member I and of the clamping member 2 so that the parts are rmly held in position, and the wires are firmly clamped to the blades 3 by a very simple operation, and without using binding screws or the like. Likewise, since the blades pass through openings in a mass of insulating material into which openings said blades 3 iit snugly, the danger of short-circuiting or the like, is minimized.

Since the two parts of the body of the device have cooperating screw threads, it is not necessary to use any tools to assemble the device, and it is not necessary to provide the parts of the body with internally threaded metal inserts, which would be necessary if thetwo parts of the body were connected by screws. Likewise, this method of connection provides a moisture tight joint.. It is a decided advantageto be able to assemble the entire device without using any screwdriver or other tools.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the clamping member 2 is provided with openings 6 through which the blades 3 pass. The member 2 is also provided with recesses 1 whose bottoms have depressions 8 and the lateral portions of the blades 3 t in said` recesses 1. The member 2 is provided with a recess or depression 9 intermediate the openings 6 so as to provide space for -the ends of the lead v Wires L.

The invention is not to be limited to this specific form of member 3. or to the specic manner of connecting the lead wires to said members 3. For example, the lead wires could be merely passed through recesses or slots 4.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7-10, a plug receptacle is formed which is provided with a body portion I0 made of suitable insulating material, and having an internally threaded hollow portion into which an externally threaded clamping member II can t. Contact blades I2 are clamped between the members i0 and Ii.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the blades are provided with heads which are lateral with respect to the shanks of said'blades, so that said heads extend laterally into the recess which has an internally threaded wall. The members l0 and Il can have a central perforation through which a screw or the like, can pass for connecting the plug receptacle to any suitable support.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

l. A connecter device having a body which comprises a pair of body members each of which is made of insulating material, one of said body members having a recess whose internal wall is threaded and into which an externally threaded wall of the other body member extends, one of said body members also having openings which are laterally spaced throughout from said internal threaded wall when said body members are assembled, said openings communicating with said recess, removable prongs located in said openings and having'heads which extend laterally into said recess, the body members being held together and being movable towards each other by reason of their cooperating threads, said body members having inner lateral clamping wall portions between which said heads are clamped in position, one of said body members having an opening through which insulated conducting wiresv having bared ends can pass to the interior of the device to contact with said heads, the assembled body members having their outer longitudinal peripheries exposed so that said outer longitudinal peripheries can be gripped, one of said body members being non-turnable relative to said removable prongs, so that said' removable prongs can be turned in unison with the assembled body members.

2. A connecter device having a body which comprises a pair of body members each of which is made of insulating material, one of said body members having a recess whose internal wall is threaded and into which an externally threaded wall of vthe other body member extends, one oi' said body members also having openings which are laterally spaced throughout from said internal threaded wall when said body members are assembled, said openings communicating with said recess, removable prongs located in said openings and having heads which extend laterally into said recess, the body members being held together and being movable towards each other by reason of their cooperating threads, said body members having inner lateral clamping wall y portions between which said heads are clamped in position, one of said body members having an opening through which insulated conducting Wires having bared ends can pass to the interior V bled body members.

EUGENE R. Komm. 

